Out of the Fists of Babes
by Hypnotoad76
Summary: Future Fic. Jeff and Annie's son is suspended from school for fighting.
1. Chapter 1

Annie tried to control her apprehension as she pulled into the elementary school parking lot. After all, it wasn't like this was a common occurrence. Overall Max was a well behaved boy. Sure he could be a little rambunctious at times, but generally he was very polite and respectful. But even if this was his first offence it didn't exactly make her feel proud to be called into the principal's office.

She pushed the front doors opened and walked into the front office. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Winger. I'm here to see Ms. Harper."

"Yes, of course, she's expecting you." The receptionist gestured to the closed door over to the right. Annie went over and loudly knocked on it. Just then she noticed Max sitting on a wooden chair against the wall, an angry pout on his little face. Before she could say anything the door opened, revealing a very stern looking woman with silver gun medal hair.

"Mrs. Winger. Please come in."

Feeling like she herself was in trouble Annie walked into the office. "Have a seat." The principal gestured as she closed the door. Annie sat down as Ms. Harper walked over and sat down behind her desk. "I called you in because it seems your son was fighting with another boy, Samuel Tanner, on the playground during recess today."

Annie sighed deeply as she took the information in. "I'm shocked. Max is usually such a good boy. He never gets in trouble."

"Well be that as it may, Riverside elementary takes a very strict policy when it comes to physical altercations."

"May I ask what happened?"

"It seems both boys are being tight lipped on the specifics of the incident. The only thing I've been able to learn is according to Samuel, Max was the one who 'started it'. Nevertheless of who started it, both boys are being suspended for the rest of the week."

Annie gasped as she took in the news. "Isn't that a little excessive. I mean, I'm in no way condoning what happened. But Max has never gotten into trouble before. Can't you show some leniency? He's only six."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Winger. But our policy is to suspend children if they get into a fight, regardless if it is their first or twentieth offence, or how old they are."

Annie looked at her; sadly able to see that there was no way she could change the woman's mind. "Fine. If that is all I'm going to take my son home then."

"I hope you will spend this time making sure he knows what he did wrong Mrs. Winger."

"I can assure you Max has a well developed sense of right and wrong." Annie said in a cool clipped tone, annoyed that her parenting skills were being brought into question. She rose from her chair, putting on a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "Thank you for your time Ms. Harper." Without another word to the woman she walked out of the office. "Let's go Max." She took Max's hand as they walked out of the building.

She looked at him through the rearview mirror as she drove home. His head was pressed against the window as he breathed on the glass. "Max, are you going to tell mommy what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing happened? You're telling me you're being suspended for three days for doing nothing?" She found that the best way to confront an issue with Max was to approach it logically.

He squirmed in his seat as she continued to look at him through the mirror. "Sam's a poop head."

"First of all, we don't use that kind of language Max."

"Even if he is one?"

"Even if he is one." She tried to keep herself from smiling at that remark. "And second, I doubt you two got into a fight just because of how you feel about him."

She waited for him to answer as she drove through the streets in their neighborhood. Just as she was about to wait until Jeff came home she heard him ask "What's a gold digger mommy?"

Annie pulled over to the side of the road as she turned around to properly look at him. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Sam. He called you a gold digger. So I hit him."

"You hit him for saying something even though you didn't know what it meant?"

"I knew he meant it was something bad. Like when you and daddy spell things in front of me. I don't know what it means but I know it's something you don't want me to know. What does gold digger mean mommy?"

Annie desperately tried to think of a way to avoid answering his question that wasn't an outright lie. "It means you're married to someone you don't truly love."

"That's not you and daddy, right?" Max said, his eyes going wide.

"No, of course not. Your father and I love each other very much."

"You're always kissing each other. It's gross."

She smiled at his typical childish declaration. "When you're older you won't think it's so gross." She pulled the car back onto the road and continued driving home.

When they arrived home she told him to go in his room. She went into the kitchen and filled the teapot with water to make herself a cup of tea. Once it was heated she poured the hot water into a cup and sat at the kitchen table, absentmindedly dunking a tea bag as she thought over what Max had told her. Obviously that boy he hit had been talking about the age difference between her and Jeff, insinuating that she was married to him for reasons other then love. Though she didn't want to think this way, if she had to guess she would bet someone told the boy this (possibly his parents), which caused him to think it. She couldn't believe people would think that about them.

First of all, the differences in their ages weren't THAT great. Hell, at parent teacher night Suzy Johnson's mother was TWENTY FIVE years younger than her father (at one point someone asked if he was the girl's grandfather and he had to explain that Gwen was his wife and Suzy was his daughter.) So it wasn't like she was the only one who was a bit younger than her husband. And second, she was married to Jeff for no other reason than the fact that they madly loved each other. What he made at the law firm didn't factor into it at all.

She continued to sit in the kitchen holding her cup of tea. She didn't even realize how long she had been sitting there until she heard the front door open. "Annie!"

"In here Jeff!" She got up as Jeff came over and kissed her. "Hey Sweetie, how was work today?" He glanced around the kitchen, noticing nothing was being prepared. "Was it my night to cook? I completely forgot. I'll make spaghetti if we still have that jar of red sauce we didn't use last week."

"What? No, it's my turn to, you know what, we'll just order in or something. But I have to talk to you first. Max was suspended from school today for getting in a fight with another boy."

"Really? What happened?"

She sighed deeply as she looked at Jeff. "The other boy called me a gold digger and Max fought him over it. He said he didn't know what it meant, but could tell it was something bad."

Jeff frowned as he took that in; clearly not happy with what he was hearing. "Would it be so terrible if I praised him?"

"Jeff! We're teaching him it's wrong to hit others."

"I know that. But he wasn't being a bully. He was defending his mother."

"Be that as it may, he shouldn't hit people just because they insult him or us."

"Ok, let's go talk to him."

They went upstairs and opened Max's bedroom door. The boy was sitting on the floor playing with his toy cars. Annie sat on the bed as Jeff sat down next to his son. "Hey Max. I heard you got into a fight today."

"Yea. With Sam Tanner. He's bigger than me and in third grade, but I fought him."

Jeff tried not to look proud as he took that in. "Well regardless, you don't fight with others. If someone is making you angry you tell them off with your words. Or you simply walk away. Now, what did he do to make you want to fight him?"

"He called mommy a gold digger. And said you were a dirty old man. I yelled at him that you shower everyday and he just laughed."

Jeff tried to contain his annoyance as he mulled over what to say. "Well, that wasn't a nice thing for him to say. But you shouldn't have hit him. Max, throughout your life people are going to say mean things to you. If you fight everyone who does you won't get far. Because of this you got suspended and can't see your friends until next week. Next time you could get in even more trouble. Do you understand?"

"Yea."

Jeff glanced up at Annie, who smiled to let him know he was handling it well. "Good." He watched his son play with his trucks for a few moments. "Max, you don't think daddy's old, do you?"

"Yea. You and mommy are both old."

Though he didn't turn around Jeff could tell that Annie was desperately trying not to laugh over that one. "Well, maybe compared to you. But overall I would say neither of us are that old."

Just then the phone rang. "I'll get it." Annie ran out to answer the phone. A few minutes later she stuck her head in the bedroom. "Jeff, can you come out here."

She waited until Jeff was in the hallway before cupping her hand over the phone. "It's Sam's parents. They want to talk to us about what happened."

"Oh they do? Do they know how this fight started?"

"I don't think so. They want to meet with us sometime this week. I have a meeting tomorrow after work. Is Thursday good?"

"Yea, I don't have to be in court until next Monday."

"Ok, I'll tell them we'll meet with them Thursday evening."


	2. Chapter 2

"Wait, turn here Jeff. I think Orchard Street is at the end of this one."

Jeff made a quick turn and drove down the street, indeed seeing Orchard Street at the end. He made a right and slowly drove as he looked for address 82. He slowed down to a stop as he pulled up to the address, seeing a large white house with a large oak tree in the front yard.

Jeff got out of his car and waited until Annie was out before locking it. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She fell into step beside Jeff as they walked up to the Tanner house. "Just remember not to overreact or to assume anything beforehand."

"There son called you a gold digger and me a dirty old man and you're telling me not to overact."

"I know. But it might not have anything to do with them. He may have heard it from somewhere else and they'll be just as shocked as we were."

"You still give people the benefit of the doubt."

As Annie rang the doorbell Jeff ran his hand down her back and backside. "Jeff!" Annie shrieked as she practically jumped back.

"Just living up to my so called reputation." He said with a smirk.

"Well I hope you got it out of your system." She said as she gave her husband a playful smile.

Just then the front door opened, revealing a man and woman about Jeff's age, give or take a couple of years. "Hello, you must be Jeffrey and Anne Winger. I'm Doreen and this is my husband Kenneth."

"Pleasure." Kenneth said as he shook Jeff's hand. He smiled as he looked over at Annie, where Doreen pointedly cleared her throat after a few moments.

"Please come in." Doreen gestured to the living room as she and her husband walked over and sat down on one of the pristine white couches. Jeff and Annie hung their coats on the coat rack before sitting down on the opposite couch.

Annie glanced around the living room, taking in the white painted walls and shelved filled with various crystal ornaments. "You two have a lovely home."

"Thank you. Would you two like anything to drink? Sparkling cider, pomegranate juice?" Doreen asked.

"I could get you a beer Jeff. Or something stronger if you'd like." Kenneth said.

"I'm good. Thanks though." Jeff said.

"Yes Kenneth, I'm sure we'd like to do this without having to get liquored up beforehand." Doreen said with thinly veiled annoyance. "After all, this isn't exactly a social call. This is about an incident involving our children."

"Right. Well, we were wondering if you knew the specifics of the fight between Max and Sam?" Annie asked.

"Samuel."

"Sorry. Samuel."

"Not particularly. Samuel has been pretty mute on the entire incident." Doreen said with a sigh.

"Personally I think he's just embarrassed by the whole thing. Getting into a fight with a first grader. I mean, no offence to your son. But if that had been me at that age I would have been humiliated to have fought someone smaller and younger than me. Because no matter what you come out looking bad. If you lose people think you're a wuss. And if you win you're seen as a monster for beating up a smaller kid. My thought is, if you're going to get in a fight, be a man and do it with someone you can feel proud of winning against." Kenneth said with a smile.

Annie frowned as she took that in. "So you feel the mark of a man is being able to beat someone up?"

"I don't believe you should be a bully or anything like that. But I do think proving yourself in a fight is a tried and true test of manhood."

"You'll have to excuse my husband. He obviously shares a less enlightened view of childrearing then I do." Doreen said with a pointed look at her husband.

"Right, I forgot, my opinion doesn't count here, does it." Kenneth said sarcastically.

As Kenneth glared at his wife Annie and Jeff glanced at each other uncomfortably. After a few tense moments Annie loudly cleared her throat. "How many kids do you have?"

"Two." Doreen said. "There's our daughter Katelyn, who's eleven. And our son Samuel, who just turned nine. How many children do you have?"

"Just Max right now. Though we might have another so he can grow up with a sibling."

Doreen smiled pointedly before slapping her hands against her knees. "So, let's discuss how we should deal with the situation. Personally I think Max should come over here to apologize."

"I agree, I think that's a good idea." Annie said. "Both boys should get together and apologize to each other."

Doreen narrowed her eyes in confusion over Annie's statement. "I'm sorry, I'm a little confused. It seems like you're suggesting that my son should apologize to your son."

"Yes, that's exactly what I was saying."

"I just don't get what Samuel has to apologize for. Your son was the one who hit him."

"Well, it's not exactly like your son did nothing to provoke what happened." Jeff said, his voice dripping with annoyance.

"Jeff." Annie said. "What we mean is, Max didn't do what he did for no reason. He told us that Samuel said a few things about us, and that was what led to him hitting Samuel."

"Well, what exactly did my son say?" Doreen asked.

Annie sighed deeply before she continued. "He said that your son insinuated that I was only married to my husband for his money. And that Jeff was only married to me because I'm a little younger than he is."

"That's the polite way of phrasing it." Jeff said under his breath.

Doreen blinked rapidly before she smiled and shook her head. "Well, that doesn't sound like Samuel. You must have misunderstood him Anne."

"I asked Max what happened and that's what he told me."

"Well you know, little boys tend to exaggerate and make things up."

"Are you calling my son a liar?" Jeff said, not even trying to hide his anger over her accusation.

"I'm just pointing out that little boys aren't always truthful over matters. And I find it a bit surprising your reaction to someone bringing up the possibility that your son may not be entirely truthful, considering his father basically defends criminals for a living."

Annie's eyes widened as she looked at Doreen's smug face. "Don't you dare talk about my husband or son like that? Or you will be in a world of trouble." She said in a low dangerous voice. 

"Ok, easy there." Kenneth held up his hands as his wife and the Wingers looked ready to tear into each other. "Let's calm down a bit everyone. Things are starting to get a little heated."

Doreen glared at Kenneth before taking a deep breath and putting on a smile. "Fine, yes. We should get back to the reason we're here. And that's to make sure Max apologizes to Samuel for what he did."

"You're right. Max should apologize. But, Samuel, needs to also apologize for what he said." Jeff said pointedly.

"As I said, we don't know if Samuel actually said what you say he said. Though I doubt it, since I can't see him saying anything about your, _marriage._"

Jeff smiled slightly as he heard the end of her statement, caching the shift in tone in her voice. "Really. So you had no preconceived opinions of us at all before today?"

"None at all." Doreen said stiffly.

"You had no opinion that you might have either told your son, or have said something he overheard."

"Nope."

Jeff chuckled as he looked over at Kenneth. "Is that true Kenneth?"

"I, I um, yes." Kenneth said, stumbling through his statement.

"Really? Because you seem to be faltering with your statement there."

"Don't sit there lawyering my husband. We're not on trial here."

Doreen breathed rapidly as Jeff grinned at her. "I'm not trying to lawyer you or whatever you want to call it. I just feel that based on your reactions there are discrepancies in your feelings about us."

"First of all, don't assume we have nothing better do then just sit around and talk about the _Wingers_. And second, it's none of your business if we do happen to say something about someone we know in the privacy of our own home. Not that we said anything."

"It is my business when it results in a fight between my son and yours."

"Exactly. That's what this is about. A fight your son started with mine. Not how we might feel about you two and your age dif-."

Doreen's voice caught in her throat as she realized her slip of her tongue. Annie stared at her as Jeff smiled grimly. "I guess that answers that question."

"No! No!" Doreen yelled. "I never said…" She sighed deeply before giving them the look of someone who was finally and reluctantly caught. "Ok, fine. I may have said something about the differences in your ages. But come on, you can't be shocked at that."

"Ok, _Doreen_." Annie said, letting her anger at the woman come out. "I don't see how it's any business of yours if there is an age difference between my husband or not. What gives you the right to immediately brand us pariahs just because of something we had no control over? And what's worse is you're passing your prejudices over to your children."

"Well you sound all high and mighty, _Missy. _I doubt I would invite you into my home if I thought you were, what was the word? Oh yes, pariahs. And you honestly can't expect that we're the only ones who have ever wondered about your, _marriage. _Or any reasons you two would decide to marry each other."

Jeff subtly took hold of Annie's hand, lacing his fingers with hers to keep her from jumping up and throttling the woman. Although he was also mad he knew that one of them had to remain calm. And just by looking at her eyes he knew Annie wasn't going to take Doreen's insults much longer. "And what exactly, may I ask, are the reasons you're insinuating."

"Well, _Jeffrey_, I can't help noticing that nice car you have out there. What is that, a Lexus? That must have cost a lot. And women love a man who's loaded. So I think you're finances speak for itself. It must be nice to know you're well taken care of Deary."

"You are asking for it!" Annie yelled. "Our financial situation is absolutely none of your business. And for the record, we BOTH make a good living at our careers."

"So you try to say it's none of our business, but can't help pointing out how much you make!"

"Ok, Doreen. I think we should all take a moment and try and calm down." Kenneth said.

"They were the ones who started this! I'm just calling them out on it!" Doreen yelled.

"That's real mature." Jeff said.

"You're one to talk about maturity. You're practically old enough to be that girl's teenaged father. But I guess for a man like you it's all about looks over substance."

"OH THAT IS-." Annie yelled as she started to stand up. Keeping his hand on hers Jeff pulled her back down to the couch as he looked into Doreen's eyes. While he was furious with the woman, he managed to let the rage into his voice without actually raising it. "If there was any truth to your assessment of us I would still be having meaningless one night stands with random bar babes. But instead I happened to meet the greatest woman anyone could ever hope to find. Yes, it goes without saying that she is incredibly gorgeous. But what made me fall in love with her was her intelligence, her compassion, and her strength. This is a woman who overcame more adversity before she was twenty then many people do in their entire life. And through it all she retained a strength of character and optimism that enables her to see the best in people and make them a better person. She is my equal and many times my superior, making me want to be better simply because she sees the best in me. I doubt, no, I KNOW I could never find a more worthy opponent and partner if I tried."

Annie couldn't help smiling, both at what Jeff had said and at the stunned looks on the Tanner's faces. She was snapped out of it when Jeff quickly stood up, almost jerking her up before she let go of his hand. "I think we're been in your presence enough for one lifetime. I just hope you're never arrested and have to go to court. Because if so I will personally make sure I'm prosecuting your case. And trust me when I say you DON'T want that." Without another word Jeff marched across the room and stormed out the door. Annie quickly grabbed their coats and ran after him.

"Jeff!"

As Jeff unlocked his car he threw his keys to Annie as he got into the passenger seat. Annie was a little surprised, but opened the driver's side door and got in. She didn't say a word as she started the car and drove off.

She looked at Jeff as she drove down the suburban streets. His jaw was clenched and he was gripping the dash board tightly. "I'm surprised I didn't hit her."

"I'm surprised you didn't yell. I almost tore into her."

"If I started yelling I wouldn't have stopped." He breathed deeply as he tried to calm down. "Where the hell does she get the right to say that stuff about you! About our son!"

"I know. She was terrible. I wanted to strangle her. Thinking Max is entirely to blame while her son is completely blameless." Annie groaned loudly, gripping the steering wheel as she fidgeted in her seat. "I feel bad for their kid."

"After all that you're worried about the boy who insulted us and got our son suspended."

"It's just, because of his parent's opinions he becoming a taunting bully. It's not fair that in the long run he'll have to pay because of that."

"He might not. I mean, we're both proof that you can overcome how you're parents are."

"Maybe." She smiled a little as she looked over at Jeff. "Thank you, for saying all that stuff about me. I just wish I had had time to tell them all the great stuff about you."

"And what exactly would you have said about me?" Jeff said with a smile.

Annie thought about it for a moment before she smiled back. "I would have told them that you're also intelligent and compassionate. That you're a fighter who's risen up from a less then desirable past."

"Are you just copying me because you can't think of something?"

"Shut up." She said with a laugh. "That in spite of being a smart ass you make me laugh and smile. And I'm continually amazed at how good of a father, and a husband, and a person you are. And how lucky I am to have ended up with such a man." She rolled her eyes as he raised his eyebrows while looking at her. "Ok, fine. And that you're exceedingly hansom. Happy?"

"Very."

"You know, I was hoping your vanity would have dialed down by the time you were in your 40's."

"Hey, it's not that bad. Remember the time Max threw up all over my best suit and I only cared that he was sick. I'm just saying, I complemented your appearance. I would hope you'd do the same for me."

"You are such a narcissus sometimes." She smiled at Jeff, feeling better then she had since they had pulled up to the Tanner house. She continued driving them home, hoping Max was still up so she could read him a story.


End file.
